Process for treating alkali-metal salts and alkali-metal-salt brines



PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES CHARLES r. RUNEY, or non-LAND, NEBRASKA, AND .ronN n. snow, or ms ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNQRS TO rorAsn REDUCTION COMPANY, or HorrLA n, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION or NEBRASKA.

rnoonss ron TREATING ALKALI-METAL SALTS AND ALKA-LI-METAL-SALT BRINES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES F. RUNEY and JOHN H. Snow, citizens of the United States, residing at Hoflland' and Los Angeles, in the counties of Sheridan andLos Angeles and States of Nebraska and California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for Treating Alkali-Metal Salts and Alkali-Metal- Salt Brines, of which the following is a specification. 4

Our invention relates to a process for treating alkali-metal salts or alkali brines,

such as occur in Western Nebraska and more especially those containing less than five per cent of sulphuric acid anhydride (S0,), for the recovery and separatlon of the valuable constituents.

The process defined in this application is similar to those processes disclosed in our copending applications bearing Serial Numbers 402,626 and 402,627 filed Aug. 10, 1920,

but the process of this ap li'cation is especially adapted for use wit salts or brines having a low content of sulphates, which makes the refining much simpler.

' In case'we start with a salt, this is dissolved in water and evaporated, or in case a brine is used, it is simplycvaporated, until 3 the salts comin out of solution test under 0.6% chlorine. he liquid and salts are then separated by filtration or the like. The salts from this first evaporation are dissolved in water or weak natural brine and crystallized. The product from this crystallization i is a fine grade of sal soda (Na,CO,-1OH,O) which on drying will yield an extra good grade of soda ash.

The mother liquor from this evaporation 40 is further concentrated until the greater part of the chlorides present our out of solution. This %oint is reached when the solution tests 50 The solution is then separated from the salts as before. These. salts are dried and furnish a potash fertilizer salt. The mother liquor from the last operation is chilled which results in the crystallization of the greater part of the sodium .salts present and the solution separated on drying, yields a very goodfgrade otpotassium carbonate. A

The commercial performance of the above operation may be illustrated by starting with i an amount of brine containing 10,000 pounds Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application filed March so, 1921. semi No. 457,036.

of salts in solution having the following composltlon.

The first evaporation in accordance with the steps of the process as outlined above produces-6,340 pounds of a salt having the 6 5 following composition:

Potash (K 0) 4. 53% Soda (Na O) 54. 36% Sulphate (S0 0.33% 0 Chloride o1 0. 55 7 Carbonate (CO 40. 23%

This salt on' solution in weak brine and crystallization gives 12,600 pounds of sal soda (Na,CO 10H,O).

The mother liquor of the first evaporatlon is further evaporated the salts separated and dried and the dried salts obtained, amounting to 2,800, pounds have the follow- 1ng analysis:

Potash K O) .40. 26% Soda (N a O) 21. 41% Sulphate (S0 1.95% Chloride (Cl) 9.03% Carbonate (CO 27.36%

which is a good grade of otash fertilizer salt. The mother liquor rom the second evaporation is then chilled and the solution when dried produces 800 pounds of a good grade of potassium carbonate.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of treating alkali brines containing principally alkali metal carbonates to recover the salts in solution therein which consists in evaporating the solution until the salts precipitating testunder 0.6% chlorine, separating these salts'from the liquid, redissolving in water and crystallizing sodium carbonate out of the solution.

2. In the process of treatingalkali brines containing principally alkali metal carbonates as specified in claim 1, concentrating the mother liquor separated'from saidisalts until the chlorides present are practically all out of solution, which point is about 50 Baum, and separating the precipitated salts in and drying the solution remaining to fromthe solution. 7 produce potassium carbonate.

3. In the process set forth in claim 1 of In testimony whereof we have hereunto treating alkali brines containing principally set our hands in presence of two subscribing 5 alkali metal carbonates, concentrating the Witnesse.

mother liquor separated from the salts to CHARLES F. RUNEY. precipitate substantially all of the chlorides JOHN H. SHOW. therefrom, separating the precipitated salts, Witnesses:

chilling the mother liquor then remaining to J. H. MILLER,

0 precipitate the sodium salts contained there- S. F. BURCKELL. 

